The eight pretended great losses, and what he had suffered for the Church, what pains he had taken at home and abroad, and besides he brought noble mens letters. The ninth had married a kinswoman, and he sent his wife to sue for him. The tenth was a forrain Doctor, a late convert, and wanted means. The eleventh would exchange for another, he did not like the formers site, could not agree with his neighbours and fellows upon any termes, he would be gone.

The twelfth and last was (a suitor in conceit) a right honest, civil, sober man, an excellent scholar, and such a one as lived private in the Universitie, but he had neither means nor mony to compasse it; besides he hated all such courses, he could not speak for himself, neither had he any friends to solicite his cause, and therefore made no suit, could not expect, neither did he hope for, or look after it.

The good Bishop amongst a jury of competitors thus perplexed, and not yet resolved what to do, or on whom to bestow it, at the last, of his own accord, meer motion, and bountifull nature, gave it freely to the University student, altogether unknown to him but by fame; and to be brief, the Academical Scholar had the Prebend sent him for a present.

The newes was no sooner published abroad, but all good students rejoyced, and were much cheered up with it, though some would not beleeve it; others as men amazed, said it was a miracle; but one amongst the rest, thanked God for it, and said, Nunc juvat tandem studiosum esse, & Deo integro corde servire.

You have heard my tale: but alas it is but a tale, a meer fiction, ’twas never so, never like to be, and so let it rest. Well, be it so then, they have wealth and honour, fortune and preferment, every man (there’s no remedy) must scamble as he may, and shift as he can; yet Cardan comforted himself with this, the star Fomahant would make him immortall, and that after his decease his Books should be found in Ladies studies.

Dignum laude virum Musa vetat mori.

But why shouldst thou take thy neglect, thy Canvas so to heart? It may be thou art not fit; but as a child that puts on his fathers shoes, hat, headpiece, brestplate, breeches, or holds his spear, but is neither able to weild the one, or wear the other; so wouldst thou doe by such an office, place, or Magistracy: thou art unfit. And what is dignity to an unworthy man, but (as Salvianus holds) a gold ring in a swines snowt? Thou art a brute.

Like a bad actor (so Plutarch compares such men) in a Tragœdy, diadema fert, at vox non auditur: Thou wouldst play a Kings part, but actest a Clowne, speakest like an Asse. Magna petis Phaeton & quæ non viribus istis &c. as James and John the sons of Zebedy did ask they knew not what; nescis temerarie nescis; thou dost, as another Suffenus, overween thy self: thou art wise in thine own conceit, but in other more mature judgement altogether unfit to manage such a businesse.

Or be it thou art more deserving then any of thy rank, God in his providence hath reserved thee for some other fortunes, sic superis visum. Thou art humble as thou art, it may be; hadst thou been preferred, thou wouldst have forgotten God and thy self, insulted over others, contemned thy friends, been a block, a tyrant, or a demi-god, sequiturque superbia formam: Therefore, saith Chrysostome, good men do not alwayes finde grace and favour, lest they should be puffed up with turgent titles, grow insolent and proud.

Injuries, abuses, are very offensive, and so much the more in that they think veterem ferendo invitant novam, by taking one they provoke another: but it is an erroneous opinion: for if that were true, there would be no end of abusing each other; lis litem generat; ’tis much better with patience to bear, or quietly to put it up. If an Asse kick me, saith Socrates, shall I strike him again? and when his wife Xantippe stroke and misused him, to some friends that would have had him strike her again, he replied that he would not make them sport, or that they should stand by and say Eia Socrates, eia Xantippe, as we do when dogs fight, animate them the more by clapping of hands.

Many men spend themselves, their goods, friends, fortunes, upon small quarrels, and sometimes at other mens procurements, with much vexation of spirit and anguish of minde; all which with good advice, or mediation of friends might have been happily composed, or if patience had taken place.

Patience in such cases is a most soveraign remedy, to put up, conceal, or dissemble it, to forget and forgive, not seven, but seventy seven times, as often as he repents forgive him; Luk. 17.3. as our Saviour enjoyns us stroken, to turn the other side: as our Apostle perswades us, to recompence no man evill for evill, but as much as is possible to have peace with all men: not to avenge our selves, and we shall heap burning coales upon our adversaries head.

For if you put up wrong (as Chrysostome comments) you get the victorie; he that loseth his mony, loseth not the conquest in this our Philosophy. If he contend with thee, submit thy self unto him first, yeeld to him.

Durum & durum non faciunt murum, as the diverb is, two refractory spirits will never agree; the onely means to overcome, is to relent, obsequio vinces. Euclide in Plutarch, when his brother had angred him, swore he would be revenged; but he gently replied; Let me not live if I do not make thee to love me again, upon which meek answer he was pacified.

Flectitur obsequio curvatus ab arbore ramus, Frangis si vires experiare tuas.

A branch if easily bended yeelds to thee, Pul’ hard it breaks: the difference you see.

The noble family of the Columni in Rome, when they were expelled the city by that furious Alexander the sixt, gave the bending branch therefore as an Impresse with this motto, Flecti potest, frangi non potest, to signifie that he might break them by force, but so never make them stoop; for they fled in the midst of their hard usage to the kingdome of Naples, and were honourably entertained by Frederick the King, according to their callings.